A ballistic vest is an item of personal armor that assists in absorbing the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is usually worn around the torso of an individual. Ballistic vests may include soft body armor made from multiple layers of woven or laminated fibers that absorb the impact of the firearm-fired projectile and/or shrapnel. Although soft body armor may be suitable to protect the individual from many firearm-fired ballistic projectiles, there is always a need for improvements in ballistic vests having soft body armor, especially in protecting the extremities of an individual such as the deltoid/bicep area, yoke area, collar area, neck area, etc.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding elements among the various views of the drawings. The headings used in the figures do not limit the scope of the claims.